Blake Lively Makes Met Gala Comeback After Settling Dispute With It Ends With Us Co-Star Justin Baldoni

Blake

Lively, who has been missing from the Met Gala since 2022, made a surprise comeback this year. The actress was in the middle of a legal dispute with her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. Hours before her appearance at the biggest fashion night across the globe, the dispute was settled amicably. After staying away from the event for four years, she made a confident comeback. Blake attended the Met Gala 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute alone; her husband, Ryan Reynolds, gave it a miss.

Blake Lively returns to Met Gala

For her Met Gala comeback, Blake wore a 2006 Versace gown. The outfit had soft pastel watercolour tones. She completed her look with a Judith Leiber handbag customised with her children’s artwork. It celebrated this year’s theme of Costume Art.

Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni settle legal dispute

Blake returned to the Met Gala after settling the sexual harassment and defamation case with Justin. After almost two years, they concluded the matter before the civil trial. Blake and Justin issued a statement and said It Ends With Us is a film that they’re proud of. It further read, “Raising awareness and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors – and all survivors – is a goal that we stand behind.”On April 2, Judge Lewis J. Liman, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, dismissed 10 of the actress’ 13 claims against the actor-director. He eliminated charges such as harassment and defamation while considering breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation for the civil trial in New York scheduled for May 18.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's case details

Blake accused Justin of sexual misconduct on the sets of their 2024 film It Ends With Us. She also alleged that Justin hired a PR firm to launch a smear campaign against her to silence her. In response, Justin denied the accusations and filed a $400 million countersuit against Blake for defamation. Her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, was also named in the case.However, Liman dismissed the $400 million lawsuit filed by Justin and his Wayfarer team. A separate $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times was also thrown out. The actor had the option to amend and refile the breach of agreement and contract interference claims by June 2025. But, Liman rejected the lawsuit, saying that his team had ‘not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions’.